(CNN) – President Donald Trump is defending the country’s need for skilled foreign workers.
During an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said the United States does not have enough talented workers to fill jobs domestically.
When pressed that the U.S. does have the talent, Trump disagreed, and despite his immigration crackdown, he said the H-1B visa program helps fill a void and allows skilled workers to come into the country.
Trump used the September Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia as evidence that the U.S. needs skilled foreign workers.
“In Georgia, they raided because they wanted illegal immigrants out. They had people from South Korea that made batteries all their life,” Trump said. “You know, making batteries is very complicated. It’s not an easy thing. Very dangerous, a lot of explosions, a lot of problems. They had like 500 or 600 people, early stages, to make batteries and to teach people how to do it. Well, they wanted them to get out of the country.”
During that raid, hundreds of South Korean contractors were arrested and deported because of their immigration status.
In September, Trump signed an executive order requiring anyone seeking an H-1B visa to pay a $100,000 application fee.
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